By the time they'd finally roused themselves out of her bed yesterday, it had been late Saturday afternoon. With Gina gone for the weekend, they'd ordered in pizza for two and indulged in the meal while discussing the vandalism to her car and the fact that Cameron didn't want her going anywhere alone or without him knowing where until the culprit was caught. Such a strict order would normally go against her independent nature, but knowing he was only concerned for her safety and well-being made the request much easier to accept.
After dinner Mia went to take a shower, and it wasn't long before Cameron joined her. He'd washed her hair for her and scrubbed her back, and she was happy to return the favor. Playful touches and caresses across wet, sleek, soapy skin turned into more sensual strokes and breathy moans of pleasure. They'd barely gotten themselves dried off before they were tumbling back into bed and enjoying another night of fulfilling carnal hungers and sinful, wicked fantasies.
But this morning her idyllic weekend had come to a disappointing end when a call had come through on Cameron's cell phone from a client that had demanded his immediate attention. He'd given her a kiss and a promise to call her later and then he was gone.
In the wake of his departure, and with Gina still not home from Ray's, Mia had been struck with a sense of loneliness, which she'd tried to shake off by reminding herself that she was used to being alone and usually preferred the solitude. But the quiet felt so oppressive, and she'd picked up the phone to give Carrie a call to see how she was doing. Her friend hadn't been home, so she'd left a message that maybe they could get together for lunch or go shopping one day soon. Then, determined to keep herself busy for the rest of the afternoon, she'd returned to her bedroom and immersed herself in her latest stained-glass design.
Now, her stomach growled hungrily, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since earlier that morning when she'd had a bowl of cereal. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was five-thirty and she needed food.
Heading into the kitchen, she decided on a quick and simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk to wash it down. She'd just finished her meal when she heard the front door open and quietly close.
'Gina?' Mia called out as she tossed her paper plate in the trash and set her empty glass in the sink.
When she didn't receive an answer, a sense of unease prickled along Mia's spine. She always kept the apartment door locked when she was home alone, and the disturbing thought flitted through her mind that maybe Gina had given Ray a key-or he'd copied one for himself without Gina's knowledge. Mia certainly wouldn't put something so calculating past the distrustful man.
With her heart hammering in her chest, she cautiously walked into the adjoining living room, but no one was mere. She moved down the hall to Gina's closed bedroom door and knocked lightly.
Again, nothing.
Her hand dropped to the door knob, and she slowly turned it to the right, finding it unlocked. Silently, she pushed the door open, looked inside, and was incredibly relieved to find Gina standing across the room, putting something away in her dresser drawer.
'Gina?' Mia said softly, not wanting to frighten her friend who obviously hadn't heard her enter the room.
Gina gasped and spun halfway around, her eyes wide and startled. She didn't move or speak, just stared at Mia.
'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.' Mia smiled but couldn't ignore the instinctive feeling that something was very wrong with Gina. Her eyes were puffy, as though she'd been crying, and her entire body seemed stiff and tense. 'Hey, is everything okay?'
Gina nodded jerkily. 'I'm fine.'
Mia didn't believe her. Her friend's tone and body language were too reserved and distant. 'Did you have a good weekend?' she asked and slowly took a few steps closer.
'Mmm-hmmm,' Gina replied as she deliberately took a step to the side, retreating farther away from Mia's approach. 'Look, I'm really tired and I'd like to be left alone.'
Halfway across the room, Mia abruptly stopped, a little hurt and confused by Gina's terse brush-off. 'All right.'
She turned to go and got as far as exiting the room and nearly closing the door when she changed her mind. Mia just couldn't bring herself to walk away and allow Gina to withdraw further emotionally, not when Mia sensed that her friend needed her-even if Gina wasn't in the right frame of mind to admit as much. And that meant being there for her roommate and making sure Gina knew she cared. No matter what.
She swung the door open once again just as Gina turned, completely facing Mia for the first time. Gina's right arm was wrapped in an ace bandage, from her hand all the way to just a few inches below her elbow.
Immediate concern had Mia striding across the room, wondering what the hell Ray had done now. 'Gina, what happened?'
Her friend held up her good hand to hold off Mia, but the panic in her eyes spoke volumes. 'It's not what you're thinking.'
Mia highly doubted that claim, because she knew with absolute certainty that this recent injury, just like all the others, had been caused by Ray. She'd bet every cent she had on her hunch.
Mia crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to keep her anger in check-along with the overwhelming urge to reach out and shake some sense into her friend. As calm as she could manage, she said, 'Then tell me what happened, because I'm not leaving your room until you do.'
'Fine.' Gina said defensively. 'I sprained my wrist.'
'How?' Mia asked, wanting,
Gina glared at her, a snap of anger raising her voice to a high pitch. 'It doesn't matter!'
'Yes, it does,' Mia shot right back, furious now. 'Did Ray hurt you?'
'He didn't mean it,' Gina finally said. 'It was my fault. He hit me because I made him angry.'
Mia was so stunned by Gina's reply that she felt as though she'd just been slapped, but she quickly recovered. 'No man should hit a woman, Gina.
'It's none of your business, all right?' Gina yelled at her as tears welled in her eyes. 'Just leave me alone!'
Gina's words felt like a knife in Mia's chest-sharp and cruel. They were also filled with a desperation Mia no longer knew how to deal with. Ray was turning her friend into someone she barely recognized anymore, and all Mia could do was watch helplessly as Gina allowed him to dominate her body, her soul, her entire life.
'It is my business because I care about you,' Mia whispered around the tears clogging her own throat. Then she turned and headed back out of the room but stopped before closing the door behind her.
She met Gina's gaze and saw the pain and misery there. 'You need to leave him, Gina,' she said softly but didn't sugarcoat her words. 'Before he does something to
On that parting remark, Mia left Gina alone and headed for her own bedroom down the hall. Without a second thought, she picked up her phone and dialed the number for Cameron's cell phone. She needed to tell him to step up the investigation on Ray.
Not for her sake, but for Gina's.
'HERE are a few case files for you to review, along with a new client we're scheduled to meet with first thing tomorrow morning.'
Cameron leaned back in his chair and watched his partner, Steve, slide the aforementioned documents across the conference room table to the new guy they'd hired the day before. Wesley Donner was only twenty-five, young by both his and Steve's standards, but surprisingly he'd arrived at his interview with five years of P.I. experience under his belt and an eager, go-get-'em attitude. Steve and Cameron had liked him immediately. Wesley was one of those high-tech computer whiz kids and the first applicant both Cameron and Steve had agreed on, without any reservations, so he'd been the one they'd hired on as an associate.
Now, late Wednesday afternoon, they were in the process of handing out some of the newer cases to Wes for him to take home and review, along with familiarizing him with the business, their list of retainer clients, and how they did things. It was such a relief to have a new guy onboard, and while Cameron's workload still felt overwhelming, he was at least able to hand over a few of his easier cases for Wes to handle and finish up.
In the middle of the meeting, Cameron's cell phone rang, and he glanced at the display to see who the call was from. He had every intention of letting the call forward to voice-mail and retrieve it after they were done briefing Wesley, until he recognized the number as Mia's home phone.
